Method of dyeing furs



Sept. 22, 1953 P. POSER 2,653,075

METHOD OF DYEING FURS Filed Nov. 17, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IMVENTORA-rrys.

PAUL POSER Sept. 22, 1953 P. POSER 2,653,075

METHOD OF DYEING FURS Filed Nov. 17, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTM PAULPOSER" Sept.v22, 1953 P. POSER 2,653,075

METHOD OF DYEING FURS Filed Nov. 17, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 VA LV 5 73 9UMp 76 231* Mow-0R Kg INVEN OR PAUL P05 E R Patented Sept. 22, 1953METHOD OF DYEING FURS Paul Poser, London, England Application November17, 1950, Serial No. 196,223 In Great Britain December 21, 1948 2Claims.

The process of dyeing fur skins involves, in most instances, apreliminary washing step followed by the successive steps ofde-greasing, rewashing, mordanting, dyeing, and re-washing, the finalstep being followed by a drying process. In the past this process hasbeen conducted in vats into, and from which the fur skins have had to belifted for each of the successive steps and, in the case of fur skinswith a relatively-thick layer of fur (e. g., sheep skins), it hasfrequently been necessary for the lifting of the skins to require theunited efforts of two or more operatives.

According to the invention, the method of sub jecting fur skins to theaction of fluid, in a dyeing process, consists of packing, withappropriate pressure, the skins into a closable container with each skinhaving its flesh side in contact with the fiesh side of one neighbouringskin (or of another part of itself, if folded), and its fur side incontact with the fur side of the other neighbouring skin, and thenforcing the fluid along the surface of the skins, the said appropriatepressure enabling the mutually presented fur sides of the skins to ofierless resistance to the flow of the fluid than do the mutually presentedflesh sides.

For conducting the requisite steps in proper sequence, the container canbe included in a circulatory system which also includes a reservoir fromwhich the particular fluid can be pumped to the container and to whichthe fluid from the latter returns, the reservoir (or its contents) beingexchanged for each successive step, and the container being providedwith a drain cock for the removal of th respective fluids at theconclusion of each step.

A further feature of the invention, involves forcing the fluid along thesurface of the skins in two opposite directions, either alternately orsimultaneously. In this way the time taken for the treatment can'bdesirably reduced.

, According to a still further feature there is included the additionalstep of forcing air (which may be heated) under pressure along thesurface of the skins in the container, when the latter has been emptiedof a liquid re-agent, for accelerating the drying of the skins. Thisstep can replace, or be alternated with another step which involvesreducing the pressure within the container for'facilitating evaporationof the residual re-agent still wetting the skins.

According to yet anotherfeature of the invention an apparatus, for thetreatment of fur skins by the above-mentioned method, includes acontainer, for the fur skins, having a hermeticallysealing cover for anaccess openingthereon-and having at least one internal distributor forconnection to a supply of fluid to be used, the container also having anoutlet, for th fluid, which is sufliciently spaced from the distributoras to provide accommodation between them for the skins to be treated.

A still further feature involves providing the container with at leasttwo internal distributors, whichare spaced apart to allow of theinterposition of the skins to be treated, and providing means forputting the distributors alternatively or simultaneously intocommunication with a supply of the fluid to be circulated between theskins. When the distributors are designed for alternative use, the onenot being used for supplying the fluid can act as the outlet from thecontainer to the return path of the circulatory system, and when bothdistributors are designed simultaneously to deliver the fluid to thecontainer, the latter can have an overflow outlet to the said returnpath.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view, in vertical section, of one form ofclosable container for use in carrying the invention into practice,showing the connections to the circulatory system;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing a modifiedconstruction of th container;

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic lay-out of a plant, including two reservoirsfor alternative use;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing another modified formof the container, being provided with two internal distributors;

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic lay-out of a plant embodying the container ofFigure 4 and including two reservoirs for alternative use; and

Figure 6 is a modified detail of the plant shown in Figure 5.

Referring to Figure 1, the container l i is in the form of a verticaldrum with a hermetically-sealing cover I2, and the distributor isdefined in the lower end of the container by an internaltransversely-arranged perforate wall it. The inlet pipe I4 from thecirculatory system extends concentrically through the cover in a sealingmanner, and through the major portion of the length of the drum todeliver the fluid at the far side of the perforate wall, and serves as acore about which the fur skins (parts of four of which are indicated, byway of example, at 15) can be T wrapped with their one edge abutting theperforate wall, there being also a communication through the cover tothe return pipe it of the circulatory system.

In Figure 2 the distributor is shown as a concentric perforate tube [3awithin the drum con- 3 nected, through a seal in the lid, with the inletpipe I4, there being between the tube and the drum a concentricperforate cylindrical wall H. The annular space between the latter andthe drum communicates with the return pipe l5, and the tube We and wallI! serve for directing the flow of the fluid between fur skins stacked,as indicated at l5a, with their planes horizontal, on the bottom of thedrum and in the annulus between the said tube and perforate wall.

The circulatory system can include any suitable fluid pump (not shown)for delivering the fluid at a sufficient pressure to overcome theresistance to fluid flow offered by the fur skins and to provide acirculation at a desired speed.

In the form or" the apparatus illustrated by Figure 3 the container I lais rectilinear and has end compartments formed by flat perforate wallsl8, is spaced from the adjacent end wall. Fluid for the treatment is tobe delivered, from a reservoir by a pump, into one of thesecompartments, which acts as a distributor, and the other compartmentacts as a collector for the fluid to be returned to the reservoir.

In the example shown there are two separate reservoirs 2t, 2! for twofluids to be used (although, obviously, there could be more than two)and for selective connection to the intake of the pump 22 (which can bedriven from an electric motor 23) cocks. There may be other cockswhereby a drain outlet 24 from the container may be put intocommunication with the pump inlet and the contained fluid be returned tothe appropriate reservoir at the conclusion of each step in thetreatment.

For circulating fluid from reservoir 2| through the chamber Ha, thecooks 25, 26 and 21 are opened (all others being closed) and the fluidis circulated through the pipe 28, the pump and the pipes 29, 30 to thecontainer, and from the latter back to the reservoir through the pipes3| and 32. If desired, and when the chamber and associated pipes arefull of the fluid, cocks 25 and 21, can be closed and a cook 33 in thedrain outlet 24 be opened, so as to connect the pump and chamber in aclosed circuit.

At the end of that phase of the treatment, the cook 26 can be closed,and cooks 34 and 35 opened to empty the container, the fluid beingpumped back to the reservoir 2| through the pipes 29 and 36 forsubsequent re-use. When it is desired to drain the reservoir, that canbe done by opening the cock 3'! in a drain pipe 38.

Similarly, with cocks 39, 25 and 40 open (all other cocks being closed),fluid from reservoir 20 can be circulated through the pipes 4| and 28,the pump, the chamber, and back to the reser-- voir 20 through the pipes3i and 42. As before, the chamber and pump can then be connected forcirculating the fluid in a closed circuit by closing the cocks 39 and4!], and opening the by setting appropriately-disposed callycontrolled), not shown, may be installed in the container, or at anydesired point of the circulatory system, for enabling the process to becarried out under complete control.

For drying the skins at any appropriate stage of thetreatment theinterior of the container can be put into communication, by opening acook 45, with the inlet of an air-exhaustion pump 46 so that, inconjunction with heaters, the fur skins can be subjected to the conjointdrying influence of heat and sub-atmospheric pressure. Also, the pump 45can be used for Withdrawing noxious vapour, due to any liquor used inthe treatment, from the container.

Obviously, the operation of the apparatus for a complete drying processcould be rendered automatic by arranging for the various cocks to beoperated by a time-controlled mechanism.

It will be seen that by the invention it is possible to place aplurality of fur skins in the container, arranged in the prescribedmanner, and to conduct the successive steps of the dyeing processwithout removing the skins between each successive step. In carrying outthe complete dyeing process each fluid to be used would be circulatedthrough the skins and, after it had done tory system would be connectedto a supply of the fluid requisite for the next step.

Referring to Figures 4 and 5, the container lib is an upright cylinder,and one of the dis tributors is a centrally-arranged pipe 5|] (which maybe perforated) of which an open upper end terminates short of the closedtop of a perforated, upright, frusto-conical shield 5| which issupported from the pipe by spiders 52, 53. The other distributors is ahelically coiled pipe 54 arranged to be near the inner periphery of thecontainer and to extend from near the bottom to near the top of thelatter, and this pipe has perforations (some of which are indicated at55) which are directed radially-inwardly. These two distributors have acommon supply pipe 56 at the bottom of the container, and there is avalve 51 of which the movable member can be adjusted, as by the handle58, for putting either distributor or both of them into communicationwith the supply pipe. The perforations, from one end to the other ofeither or both distributors, can be of different sizes so as to secureequalisation of the pressure of the re-agent delivery at all levels inthe container, and the distributors can be fed from the pump through apressure reducing means.

The supply pipe 56 communicates, through a cock 59, with the output sideof a circulating pump 22a which is driven by an electric motor 23a, andthe pump inlet communicates, through a pipe 60 and one of the cocks BIand. 62, with the outlet from either of two-reagent reservoirs 20a, 21a.The tops of these reservoirs communicate, through pipes 83, 64 which arerespectively controlled by cocks 65, 66, with an overflow outlet 61 nearthe top of the container. Also at the and the pump for circulating are-agent whilst the other reservoir is being drained and re-filled inpreparation for the next step. Also, when the pump is a reversible one,the re-agent can be pumped from the bottom of the container back intothe bottom of the appropriate reservoir for re-use.

The container may be provided with an agitating basket 1'! of a suitablematerial for the skins. As shown the top of the basket has a radialflange 18 by which it is rotatively supported from a ledge 19, with aninterposed bearing 80. An electric motor 8|, mounted on the outside ofthe hermetically-sealing cover 82, has its shaft 83 extending through agland 84 in the cover and carries a laterally extending bar 85 to engagebetween diametrically opposed pairs of abutments 86 on the flange 19 fordriving the basket.

A fan 81, driven by an electric motor 88, can deliver drying air througha pipe 89, controlled by a cook 90, to the container when the supply ofliquid re-agent has been cut ofi from the container and the latter hasbeen drained. By suitably setting the cocks the drying air can beconducted away from the container through the drain pipe 16 and thussafely carry ofi noxious vapour.

The various cocks can be operated, in a timed cycle, by any suitabletime control means whereby a complete process (i. e., successive stepsfor degreasing, washing, mordanting, dyeing and rewashing the skins) canbe carried out automatically.

The overflow outlet 61 preferably includes a filter 9|, and thermometers92, heaters (not shown), and any other desired instruments or devices(e. g., pressure gauges) can be arranged in suitable positions in theapparatus.

The whole apparatus can be enclosed in a cabinet 93 having a panel 94displaying, for example, the dials 95 of the instruments employed andindicators for showing the particular step of a process being carriedout and any other information it is necessary for the operator to have.

The modification shown in Figure 6 involves supplying the two injectorsfrom separate supply pipes 56a, 5622 through a change-over valve 96,which latter can connect either of them with an additional return pipe91 to the pump. In this case a cook 98 isolates the tanks 20a, 2| a andthe fluid enters the container by one distributor and, with cock 99open, leaves by the other in a continuous circulation.

Obviously instead of there being two re-agent reservoirs there could bemore (or even one) dependently upon the number oi re-agents to be used,and it will be seen that by appropriately setting the valves, theheaters, the time control device, etc., it is possible to treat theskins under strict control according to their typical requirements, andto do that without any necessity for handling them between successivesteps of the complete process.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent 01'the United States is:

1. The method of subjecting fur skins to the action of a fluid in adyeing process which consists in arranging the skins in a stack, theflesh side of one skin abutting the flesh side of its adjacent skin and.the fur side of one skin contacting the fur side of one of a pair ofskins stacked flesh side to flesh side, sealing the mutually presentedflesh sides of each pair of skins in the stack by compressing the stackbut, due to the fur, leaving a path for fluid flow between each pair ofmutually presented fur sides, and introducing and forcing the fluid toflow along said path between the fur sides from one side of said stackto the other.

2. The method of subjecting fur skins to the action of a fluid in adyeing process which consists in arranging the skins in a stack, theflesh side of one skin abutting the flesh side of its adjacent skin andthe fur side of one skin contacting the fur side of one of a pair ofskins stacked flesh side to flesh side, sealing the mutually presentedflesh sides of each pair of skins in the stack by compressing the stackbut, due to the fur, leaving a path for fluid flow between each pair ofmutually presented fur sides, introducing and forcing the fluid to flowalong said path between the fur sides from one side of said stack to theother, and then discontinuing the fluid flow and finally forcing airalong said paths for accelerating the drying of the fur skins.

PAUL POSER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 952,703 Glasel Mar. 22, 1910 1,230,667 Carr June 19, 19171,809,909 Pierini June 16, 1931 2,171,277 Ohsman Aug. 29, 1939 2,321,775Sartakofi June 15, 1943 2,414,955 Karten Jan. 28, 1947 2,426,372 PoserAug. 26, 1947 OTHER REFERENCES Tuck article in Journal Soc. Dyers and001., August 1949, pages 386 to 389.

1. THE METHOD OF SUBJECTING FUR SKIN TO THE ACTION OF A FLUID IN ADYEING PROCESS WHICH CONSISTS IN ARRANGING THE SKINS IN A STACK, THEFLESH SIDE OF ONE SKIN ABUTTING THE FLESH SIDE OF ITS ADJACENT SKIN ANDTHE FUR SIDE OF ONE SKIN CONTACTING THE FUR SIDE OF ONE OF A PAIR OFSKINS STACKED FLESH SIDE TO FLESH SIDE, SEALING THE MUTUALLY